Mentor WWII vet remembers contributions of all who served

Underneath the lamp in Robert E. Zonneville’s living room sits the box set of “Band of Brothers.”
Some people wonder how he can watch the miniseries when he lived through many similar experiences to what those men faced.
“It’s part of our history,” Zonneville said in the days leading up to the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. “I was part of it. I’m proud of my service. I’m proud of what I did.”
Zonneville, 88, of Mentor, was a high school senior when Pearl Harbor was attacked. He was living on his family’s farm in Williamson, N.Y. Many farmers were exempt from serving in the military, but the United States was attacked and he wanted to help.
He enlisted in the Army in 1943 and served in Company H, 121st Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division.
He fought on the frontlines in Europe, including in Northern France following D-Day.
Zonneville received a number of badges and honors, including the Bronze Star Award, two Purple Hearts, the Certificate of Merit and most recently, the French Legion of Honor, which he was presented Friday.
As the title of the miniseries that props up his lamp suggests, serving in World War II was a brotherhood. Zonneville feels strongly that every contribution a veteran made in the war was important, whether someone served on the front lines, drove a truck or delivered the mail.
“The star quarterback gets all the credit, but the linemen are just as important. I think it’s the same in life too,” he said.
Zonneville is among the youngest who served in the war.
“I was the youngest guy in our outfit when I went in,” he said. “Most of those guys are in their 90s and I’ll be 89 in January and that’s young for what I did. Most of them are dead. There’s probably less than a million left anymore.”
As of May 2013, a little over 1.7 million of the 16.1 million who served in World War II are living, according to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs.
When he attends American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars meetings, he is often the only WWII vet there.
“Most of the places I go, most of the people I knew are gone,” Zonneville said. “Or else they’re in nursing homes. Most of the people I associate with now are younger.”
Zonneville keeps himself busy. He’s part of three cocktail groups, involved in charities and often speaks at local schools among many other things. He recently earned a college diploma, graduating from Lakeland Community College this past May.
“It’s good for the mind and it’s good for the body,” he said. “The VA doctor said, ‘Bob, if every patient was like you, I’m afraid they’d lay me off.’ ”
When he does get a chance to meet up with other WWII vets, they don’t talk about the battles.
A fellow veteran didn’t even know Zonneville received the Purple Heart until he saw his license plate. Instead, they focus on the camaraderie. “The good times.”
“It’s not all bad,” he said. “It taught me that I didn’t survive alone. I couldn’t survive if others didn’t help. You’re a unit. When I started in the business world, it helped me because you can’t run the whole company yourself. You have to learn how to delegate, to depend on other people, to get them to work with you.”
When he speaks at schools, sometimes to as many as six classes a day, he shares his experiences in the war, but shares his thoughts on life as well. Zonneville speaks highly of today’s youth, who he says are often unfairly criticized.
“If we were attacked, I’m convinced today’s young people would do the same thing,” he said. “I don’t think we did anything different than they would do.”
Zonneville’s family and friends tell him he should collect his experiences in a book.
“I’ve had quite a life,” he said. “I came from about as little as anybody could. My father came from Holland. I grew up during the depression, we didn’t have anything. Then I started driving a truck after the war, then I actually picked cherries and strawberries for a while.
“Eventually I became president and CEO of a large trucking company. I didn’t retire until I was 80.”
He’s done everything from riding in race cars to riding a hot air balloon over France to giving sermons.
Zonneville said he’s worked on an outline for the book.
“We’ll see, if it gets done it gets done,” he said.
“I’m just the luckiest man alive.”